Addictive Podcasts About Serial Killers for You to Binge on the Go

Debuting in 2014, Sword and Scale is the sort of podcast that favors the facts, being as uncensored and raw in its depiction of the crimes being covered. If you like your serial killers discussed using the entire gamut of testimonies, interviews with victims, and more, Sword and Scale is among the best of its kind. Over the years (and over 300 episodes and counting!), their website has included written content too, if that strikes your fancy.

After listening to a few episodes, Sword and Scale will have you second-guessing your own neighborhood, making it clear that crimes occur everywhere no matter how scenic or seemingly safe.

Morbid podcast is co-hosted by Alaina Urquhart, an autopsy technician, and Ash Kelley, a hairdresser. These two are among some of the most entertaining and insightful podcast hosts you’ll find, which makes sense considering how Morbid has grown since its beginnings in 2018.

The hosts go into depth on everyone from Albert Fish to the Yorkshire Ripper. Urquhart has gone on to publish her debut novel, The Butcher and the Wren, which became for many fans of true crime and serial killers a must-read. If you have even remotely the slightest interest in the history of serial killers and the horrors of human depravity, Morbid should be primed for listening post-haste.

Though certainly not a podcast in the strictest sense, I have to add Wendigoon, a popular explainer YouTube channel, to this list simply because he goes into so many different topics, many of them of interest to those of us who like to learn about serial killers. 

Though Wendigoon tends to explore the dark side of the internet, like creepypasta-turned-phenomenon Backchannels as well as explainers for books and films that demonstrate his skill at dialing even the darkest subject material down into a digestible and gripping manner, Wendigoon can easily be that perfect hour long video you play in the background, listening as he tells you about the world of horrors fact and fiction.

One of the longest-running true crime podcasts focusing on serial killers and other heinous crimes, Casefile True Crime deals in a mixture of cases, including cold cases, including an episode on the Weepy Voiced Killer and another on the Frankston Serial Killer.

What makes Casefile stand out is how they select “lesser known” cases, in that the killers discussed aren’t your Gacy or our Dahmers. Rather, they favor the sort of serial killers that get lost in the noise of the 24/7 news cycle. And with an anonymous host and a preference for official documents, interviews, and recordings, Casefile straps you and doesn’t let go until you’re on the other end of the episode maybe wishing you could “unlearn” the events.

True Crime Bullshit is a serial podcast that has taken on one of the most deplorable serial killers in human history, Israel Keyes. The killer has been reported to have taken the lives of at least 11 people, including a laundry list of equally heinous crimes (arson, rape, and more) throughout his lifespan on this earth before committing suicide in his jail cell at the age of 34. The podcast attempts to fully explore this menace, the mind of Keyes, and the ongoing impacts of Keyes’ disgusting crimes. 

True Crime Bullshit certainly stands out for the daring choice to focus on one of the worst serial killers of all time. Fair warning though, it’s really disturbing stuff.

It feels right to end the list with something a little bit lighter. My Favorite Murder is hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, two long-time fans of true crime, as they explore the various crimes, stories, and anecdotes that have left a mark.

Able to hit the right balance of fandom and frightening, My Favorite Murder is the sort of podcast that you tune in to share the sort of fandom and interest that has kept you digging through the trenches for more true crime mysteries. When you listen to an episode of My Favorite Murder, you’re joining a community of true crime fans and sharing in the enthusiasm.